WTN: 2008 Champalou Vouvray

This wine is not what I was expecting. Thin on the nose and taste. The fruit takes a back seat to the limestone and the taste of a mouth full of dry gravel. I would have liked more fruit up front. The wine was okay. Is this their style? Any recommendations for a Vouvray that is more fruit forward?

Thanks
Michael

Sounds corked.

This bottling is usually friendly and fruit forward (if simple) as far as Vouvrays go. You're going to find more obvious fruit in something like 09, but this still sounds corked.

Rahsaan,
Unfortunately I have had two bottles of extremely corked wines lately. A 2008 Kesselstaat Josephshofer Kabinett, and a 2007 Molitor Zeltiinger Sonnenurh Kabinett....sigh. Both had the textbook TCA character. I have had several other bottles I bought at the same time that were wonderful. I did not get this at all from the Champalou.

Michael

Both had the textbook TCA character. I did not get this at all from the Champalou

Not all corked bottles exhibit the same TCA character. Often low-level cork taint manifests itself by scalping the taste of the fruit, which sounds like your bottle 'thin, dry gravel' etc.

Of course I wasn't there and I haven't had this vintage of Champalou. Maybe they did something strange in 08. But knowing the vintage conditions and Champalou's usual style, this doesn't sound right. Perhaps someone else has tasted this wine and can offer more input.

I posted here, a new release of the NV Champalou did not do it for me.

I posted here, a new release of the NV Champalou did not do it for me.

I haven't tasted that wine either and I don't buy Champalou on a regular basis. But I always thought of them as a reliably solid if not exciting source of Loire chenin.

I posted here, a new release of the NV Champalou did not do it for me.

I haven't tasted that wine either and I don't buy Champalou on a regular basis. But I always thought of them as a reliably solid but not exciting or profound source of Loire chenin.

Here is my note from last year on the same wine:

Very pretty, crisp, clear with a touch of honeysuckle and a nicely integrated lemony acidity. Broad with a nice long lemony finish and a hint of nuttiness. Delicate, complex, light, beautiful wine.
B/B+

Doesn't sound like the same wine you're describing. In my somewhat limited experience I've found Champalou to be fairly fruit forward and very reasonably priced. So maybe your bottle was off or your expectations.